Angels in Amity Park
by StormxKira
Summary: When a young girl is killed in a house fire, she is taken under the wing by Clockwork. But Clockwork has a favor to ask of her...To watch over a Mister Daniel Fenton. But why?
1. Prologue

The night was lit up with a blaze, the sky glowing red as flames licked the top of a roof on Glasgow St. Windows had burst open, spewing glass onto the lawn, and the fire danced through those as well. Only one of the homes that had fallen victim to an arsonist that night. At the time, no one knew that by tomorrow, the arsonist would be captured. No one knew at the time that the arsonist would be a drunk teenage girl who had tried to burn her ex's house down out of spite, but hadn't known which home it was and so lit the entire street ablaze. All the people of Glasgow St. in Amity Park knew was fear. 

"Brianne! Brianne, where are you?!" came a frantic mother's scream. A dark-haired woman was staring, wide-eyed, at her home that was burning before her very eyes. Her husband, whose hair was a deep orange-red hue, stood next to her, and their 14-year old son on her other side, but no sign of her little 8-year old daughter, Brianne.

"Brianne!" she screamed again, but this time it was happier, relieved. Through the dark, billowing smoke and glaring fire, the mother could see the emerging figure of her daughter. A puppy ran ahead of her, Brianne staggering behind. She wheezed as she walked, but she managed a weak smile for her mother and brother. Her father was not fooled by her ruse.

"Thank God you're alive, Brianne...Come on, we have to get you to a hospital, pronto!" he said urgently, running a hand through her brilliant red hair that so resembled his own. Almost as red as the flames that mercilessly enveloped everything they had known.

"Daddy..I'm just...fine.." she protested weakly before falling into a coughing fit. With a faint sigh, she went limp in her fathers arms. Her mother screamed, a hand flying to her mouth in horror, and the dog sniffed her worriedly.

"She's not dead," her father said, trying to reassure the family. Relief was lacing his voice as he felt her pulse. "Just passed out from the fumes. Hurry up, we need to take her to the hospital immediately!"

Brianne was semi-conscious still, and as they pulled up to the hospital, she realized her older brother, Jake, was cradling her. She opened her eyes a slit to see him. He was looking out the window of the truck, unease clearly etched on his face. She looked a little past him, and even from where they were, she could see the dim glow of their smoldering home, and all the others as well. If se could have, Brianne would have smiled. Not because their house was burnt down, but because she noticed how packed the hospital parking lot was, and realized it would probably never be quite this busy again. And just as the thought faded, Jake was carrying her into the waiting room. Her mother and father went to the front desk.

It was the most sudden thing she'd ever felt, but as her parents talked anxiously to the receptionist, Brianne felt as though a hand had reached into her chest and clamped down on her heart. She wheezed, much harsher than she had before, and she could vaguely hear Jake shouting. She couldn't see, everything was dark and scary. Darkness and pain, lots of pain. And then, everything was silent, and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

When Brianne was awake, she found she couldn't open her eyes. Her eyelids were just too heavy...The pain was gone. Medicine, she figured, but she could still feel the doctors poking at her, calling things to each other that she didn't understand. She could hear a worried voice outside the room, crying "Where's my baby? Where's my little Brianne?!" That was definitely her mother, and then she heard a deep voice right by her ear, "It'll be okay..." As choked as it sounded, she knew that was her father. But where was Jake? Where was her brother? She could hardly remember where SHE was. Everything was a big, fiery blur.

Her mother was next to her now. Brianne could tell by her sniffling that she was trying not to cry and failing miserably at it. She couldn't make out the words, and she didn't really care right now. All she could think of was how cold she was. Didn't anybody give her a blanket? Was it so much to ask for one? The doctors had stopped moving and poking, and she heard these words clearly through everything: "We've done all we can. She's in the Lord's hands now." Her father sobbed a little, those choked back tears finally falling numbly on her hand, and her mother wailed, clutching Brianne's cold hand.

"Mommy loves you, Bri..." I love you, too, Mommy. I love you so much...And everything seemed to stop for an instant. She felt a peculiar sensation, and before she knew it, she was actually able to see. A grin spread across her face and she looked to her mother excitedly. "Mommy! I'm okay! Mommy, I'm okay, look! Stop crying!" But her mother paid her no mind. The smile faltered for a moment and she looked to her father. "Daddy? You can stop crying now! Mommy's just silly, but I know YOU don't want to keep crying...! Daddy!" She looked around at all the doctors. They looked grim, and a few hung their heads. One pulled forward the blanket they had been unable to put over her before, and covered her head. Or...should have, Brianne thought. It went over my head, but I can still see them...She looked behind her and let out a shriek. It was her own face they had just covered; she could see her red hair spilling out over the pillow. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at herself. She could see a certain transparency in her skin and tears welled up in her eyes as she looked around desperately. "What are you doing?!" she screamed at one of the doctors. "Take off that blanket, I'll..." the words died in her throat and the doctor that had covered "her" sadly said the last words she heard in that hospital.

"Brianne Hoffling, died at 10:06 PM, June 9th, 1998, age 8. Cause of death: smoke inhalation and a collapsed lung."

Don't worry, the next chapter really will be more about Danny Phantom xD I just needed a way to introduce Brianne, and that seemed easiest.


	2. Chapter 1 Mistake

The skies were clear and beautiful at Amity Park, eight years since the stream of house fires caused by the teen arson. The story had swamped the local newspapers, and Brianne Hoffling's story had touched thousands.

Above Casper High School, two figures hovered. One was a young girl, Brianne--now a ghost, of course--, and a cloaked man by the name of Clockwork. Clockwork was the Master of Time, with special medallions that allowed a person, or ghost, to defy time while wearing it. In his hand was a long staff that branched a bit like a V at the top. In between the sides, there was a tiny clock that glowed an eerie blue-green; it could freeze time at will, among other things.

"So why are you showing me the school, again?" Brianne asked exasperatedly. Clockwork smiled knowingly, shifting to his adult form.

"Calm yourself, Brianne. Look," he said, pointing at the school as kids came flooding out. "The dark-haired boy." Brianne's eyes flitted across the crowd and she frowned.

"There's a lot of 'dark-haired boys'. Anything more specific?" she asked. That was one thing that irritated her about Clockwork. Although he was kind enough to take her under his wing and let her live with him, she found that it was very difficult to get a straight answer out of him. She had never been good with riddles and vague answers. And Clockwork knew this, letting out a bit of a sigh.

"The only one walking alone." Brianne glared at him, silently requesting more. "In a white-and-red ringer t-shirt," Clockwork said in a resigned tone, shifting to his child form now.

Brianne smiled. "Thank you," she said curtly, turning back to the crowds of children. Aha! It was much easier spotting him now. He was the only one that was branching off from the crowd, hands in his pockets. The red-head ghost giggled.

"He's kinda cute," she snickered, then quieted herself, flipping her flame-red braid behind her shoulder. In form, she was still 8, but in mind she was 16, now. She felt a faint sense of longing as she looked at the high school, knowing that if she had survived the house fires, she would be somewhere in the crowd, laughing and playing with friends. Yes, maybe that brunette towards the back would have befriended her, she thought serenely. She could almost hear them chatting it up in her mind. However, she quickly snapped herself from her reverie, remembering that Clockwork was still there.  
He didn't seem to mind her spacing out. He noticed over the years that she did it a lot.

"Soooo, what's so important about him?" Brianne asked, watching the boy more intently now. Clockwork chuckled. This was one of the reasons he had hoped Brianne would do this; she had a body of a child and a mind of a teen. Thought the same as him, but looked young.

"His name is Daniel Fenton." He waited to see any reaction from her, and almost seemed surprised at her puzzled expression. Then he remembered that in his lair, there wasn't much gossip that got around to him, especially since he never let her view his portal that he used to keep an eye on things. He knew how reckless she could be, and was afraid she would try to go change something in the past, present, or future. Blatantly put, she did not know Danny Fenton's secret. "I want you to do me a favor, Brianne. A big favor. Do you think you can handle it?"

Brianne's green eyes lit up at this. "Really?! What is it?" she asked excitedly. Clockwork let out another chuckle, shifting forms so he appeared as a wizened old man. It was the form she thought suited him best, old and wise and all-knowing. That twinkle in his red eyes that felt like he was searching your very essence and reading your thoughts. It was frightening sometimes, but sometimes Brianne admired him for it.

"I want you to watch over Daniel...for the time being." Clockwork frowned, deepening the wrinkles on his pale green face. "Something...is troubling him, but I cannot tell what. I will admit, I care about the boy, but I also do not want him to make the same kind of mistakes he made before. Certainly you remember that, Brianne?" The girl thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, we had a very difficult time sealing up Danny Phantom from the future. It was a pain," she sighed. Clockwork nodded in agreement. "Yes, and I do not care to go through that again. I'm afraid that whatever stress he is going through right now may influence his thoughts and decisions. So I want you to guard him, get to know him, and earn his trust." He held his staff out in front of him and touched it to the tip of Brianne's nose.

She felt a peculiar sensation creeping throughout her body and she chanced a look at her hands. They were...solid?! She looked up at him, her eyes wide and and grin broke her face. "Am I alive?!" she asked anxiously. Clockwork looked apologetic for a moment, then shook his head, causing Brianne's face to droop. "No, I am afraid not. Even the Master of Time and Space cannot bring back the dead...However, this form will allow you to stay near Daniel. Befriend him at whatever costs. But I would advise not letting his sister see you. I believe you remember a Jasmine Fenton, correct?" Brianne gasped. "Jazz? Of course I do!" she said happily. "But why can't she see me?"

"Well, you two were good friends in elementary school, when you died. If she were to see you in this form, she would be more than a bit confused. Daniel, however, was only six at the time, and most likely will not remember you."

"Come to think of it, I DO remember Jazz mentioning a little brother, Danny...Hmm..." She watched as Danny continued down the street, shifting the weight of his purple backpack from shoulder to shoulder every few steps. Must have a lot of homework in there, she thought. Maybe it's a good thing I'm not in high school. "Alright, Clockwork...I'll do it. I'll watch over him," she agreed.

Clockwork looked satisfied by this answer. "Good. Now, I will warn you, you can still go intangible while in that form, but it will take a while for your full-flesh form to return. So be careful of using it," he warned. Brianne nodded impatiently, already shifting to her normal form and zooming down towards the sidewalk Danny was walking on.

She let out a happy, contented laugh as she soared through the sky, not having felt this in a long time. A year at least. Her eyes widened as she saw a small flock of low-flying geese fly by. "Intangible! Intangible!" she shrieked at herself, trying to force her body to shift. It was much harder to do with the burden of her full-flesh form now. At the last moment, she flung her arms in front of her, shielding her face against the bombardment of wings and beaks. Honks seemed deafening in her ears, and by the time she cleared, she was still soaring downwards, feathers flying off of her. She let out another gasp as she collided right into Danny, her body, only half intangible, flying into his head but finding herself unable to get back out. She let out an inward groan. "What now...?" she muttered, shaking her head. She felt Danny stop, and was scared and delighted at the same time to see that she could see from his perspective now. He was staring straight ahead, then his head seemed to dart nervously back and forth.

"Who said that?" she heard his quiet, cautious voice. She could imagine the look of shock on his face and felt a bit guilty. She had meant to shift back to her full-flesh form and just walk behind him until he noticed her. This was a much more direct and riskier way of going. But she had no other options. Thinking fast, she tried to come up with a believable lie.

"I...am your conscience, Daniel," she said in an important voice, and her best imitation of a woman's voice. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" 


	3. Chapter 2 The Crazy Boy

"I...am your conscience, Daniel. It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

Danny shook his head, raising a hand to his temple, confused. "My...conscience?" he said tentatively. "I thought your conscience was a little voice in the back of your head and reminded you what was right and wrong, not to interrupt a kid while he's walking home from school." He let out a bit of a shiver, pulling his arms close, clutching his shoulders. Winter's definitely coming, he thought as a little puff of mist appeared in the cool air from his mouth.

Brianne was even more surprise when she could hear his thoughts. Whoa...she thought, eyes wide. Frowning, she again tried to break free from the mental prison, but couldn't. She sighed and slumped down behind his brain. "Well YOU were the one who asked," she retorted. "Maybe if you kept your eyes in front of you instead of on the concrete, you'd notice more than that dirt spot on your sneakers."

She could almost feel the anger swelling in him. It was kind of scary to experience. Everything his mind interpreted, saw, and thought, she could feel, too. It's like I'm tapped into his mind, she thought, careful not to say anything out loud yet.

Without a word's reply, Danny let out a bit of a huff, walking again, if not a bit brisker now. Brianne smiled and whispered, "You can't escape me Danny. I'm inside you. I'm part of you."

"Then shut it," the raven-haired boy said flatly, shifting the weight of his backpack again. "Can you at least just wait until we--_**I**_-- get home? I'm getting weird looks, talking to myself," he snapped, glancing warily at a mother and child who walked by, hand-in-hand. Brianne shrugged.

"As you wish, Daniel." It was hard being formal, and Brianne prayed silently that she wouldn't need to for very long.

When Danny got home, he sighed and slumped his shoulder, letting the purple bag fall off him with ease. "I'm home," he called into the house, waiting for a response. He frowned, not hearing anything. He shook his head, walking into the kitchen. He felt┘nostalgic for some reason, and he couldn't place it. Little did he know that he was as tapped into Brianne's emotions right now as Brianne was with his own.

Danny glanced around the kitchen. Jazz was sitting at the table, nose practically buried into her Physics book. Again, he felt an odd, nostalgic feeling, only this time it was accompanied by a sadness and bliss that confused the snot out of him. Brianne was staring out his eyes avidly, a sad grin crossing her features as she looked at her old friend. She desperately wished for a moment that she could get out, to go talk to her, as if they were still in third grade. But alas, even if she could go fully intangible now, Clockwork had forbid her to go near Jasmine.

Ignoring the strange emotion, Danny went to the refrigerator, opening it up and hoping to find an apple or something. Just something small to snack on. Lunch hadn't been all that great today. "Where's Mom and Dad?" he asked Jazz as he pulled open one of the fridge drawers.

"I don't know," Jazz replied distractedly, scribbling down a few equations from her notes. "Something about ghosts." Danny repressed a chuckle. Typical, he thought, emerging from the fridge with a crisp red apple in hand. He walked away from it, shutting it with a light kick from his foot.

"Well, if you need me, I'll be upstairs," he said, taking a big, crunching bite out of the apple.

"Okay..." Jazz muttered, pulling out her calculator and going back to her homework.

Danny sighed deeply as he opened the door to his room, shutting it lazily and flopping onto his bed. He lay there, his blue eyes scanning all the things decorating his room, half of it NASA items. Spaceship models, posters, it was a room that didn't seem to fit in with the rest of his family, and he liked that. Because honestly, he didn't think he fit in his family that well sometimes either. How two ghost hunters give birth to a genius, ghost-skeptic, psychologist-in-the-making daughter and a NASA-obsessed, C-average student of a son was beyond him.

"You really like NASA, don't you?" Brianne's voice echoed in Danny's mind. Danny nodded a bit, not really thinking about it before answering.

"Yeah, I have since I was little..." He paused, looking down at his own shoes again. His eyes were only half-open now and he looked like he was asking the wall a question. "Are you really my...'conscience'?" he asked quietly.

Brianne hesitated, biting her lip. Danny felt that moment's hesitation, but then it cleared and he felt certain as her voice said , "Yeah. I am."

"But I thought your conscience was your OWN voice in the back of your head. No offense, but you sound like a girl."

"I _**AM**_ a girl!" Brianne snapped. "And don't assume so much! I'm your conscience, and I admit I've been on a bit of a break. You've made some cruddy decisions in the past few years, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to talk you away from them. I never said I was the best," she shrugged.

"Whatever," Danny yawned, stretching his arms behind him as he felt himself drifting off. He took one last bite of the apple, then chucked it half-heartedly at the trash can in the corner of his room. A satisfying thunk let him know he hit his target as his eyes shut. "As long as I know I'm not going crazy..."

No, you're not Danny, but I may go crazy yet! I'm claustrophobic! She thought with a sigh. She looked down at him, sleeping and smiled, shutting her own eyes for now. A little nap couldn't hurt, right? She just wished at that moment that it wasn't so cramped in there.


End file.
